The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-11
SETTLING UPON A SITE.
REPRESENTATIVE NORWOOD AND
THE NEW POST OFFICE.


Government Selected the Barracks
Solicitor General DuBignon's Reply
The Resolutions.
Between 500 and 900 people were al
Masonic Hall last night to attend the meet
ing called for the purpose of indorsing tn,
Oglethorpe Barracks site for the new public
building,
The hall was filed long before the hour o.
meeting. The gallery was packed, and the
crowd was sticking out of the doorway.
The crowd began to grow FESTIVE by the
time the hall was filled. A block away
were heard now and then wild yells that
issued from 500 threats. Silence followed
for brief space and then again the air
would be split by some vociferous call for
some one whose name was submerged in the
volume of invitations.
THE CROWD GETTING ANXIOUS.
The platform was crowded and there was
no one to control the meeting. The audi
ence did not want TO wait 1t was anxious
for the proceedings to begin. 1t called for
Thomas, Purse, duDignon, then for Purse,
duBignon, Thomas and duBignon, Thomas,
Purse As the followers of each got the
opportunity they urged the claims of their
leader for the craftsmanship Acting Mayor
Schwarz was to have been chairman but
as he had presided over the other meeting
he thought it unwise to preside last night,
so he did not appear. AT last Mr.. ID. R.
Thomas was led to the platform, and his
appearance was greeted with wild yell
He raised his hand to command silence and
said:
''Gentlemen, under ordinary circum-
stances | would thank you for this honor
but question whether l have been duly
elected. Preferring concord and harmony
rather than discord and division, desire a
more definite expression of your choice.
viii appoint Alessrs. Conner and Letter
tellers.
Mr. Thomas then asked if it was desired
that he should act as chairman of the meet
ing, and storm of "ayes" was heard The
noes" were few, and he was declared
elected. Mr.. Frank E. Rebarer was elected
secretary.
MR.. NoRwoOD's SPEECH.
The crowd then began to call Norwood"
Norwood, :" Norwood, :" and when the First
districts Representative stepped upon the
platform he was greeted with tremendous
cheering. Mr.. MOI wood spoke as follows:
my FELLOW CITIZENS You have been
called together as business men to settle
purely business question. There is no
politics in it, nothing in it except the
general interest of the city of Savannah
meeting called in consequence of a meeting
held in the City Exchange last Wednesday
during my absence in Washington. /
thought it only proper and duty to YOU as
well as to myself, that | should be heard
with reference to the site for the new public
building We have a serious question to
consider, and hope you will be calm, de
hberate and thoughtful. l hope that all
feeling will be laid aside. Besides asking
you to lay aside all feeling, | ask you to lay
aside all selfishness. Be catholic in laying
aside all personal interest; consider only the
general interest.
THE CITY EXCHANGE MEETING.
''As to those gentlemen-many of whom
are my personal friends, and of whom | de-
sire to say no unkind word in no unkind
spirit-who assembled at the City Exchange
and condemned me before | was heard, l
desire to say that l offer for them the prayer
which the old Scotch preacher who was in
the habit of using big words offered. When
ever he used a word that he thought the
Lord did not understand he would explain
it, and he prayed, oh, Lord, give us recep-
tivity-that is, Lord, give us the power to
receive impressions, and hopethe gentle
men will receive impressions and come with
US that we may reason together. / want to
say in advance that have no more interest
than any other citizen in the location of the
post Office. ha 7e no stock in the company
which owns the barracks and no land near
it to be enhanced in value by the erection
of a fine building, so can say, as do the
Solicitors General, that,I stand an impartial
witness between the State and the accused
that have no bias, and that, after having
seen the crime committed and heard tn e
evidence. [Laughter.l
THE CHARGE OF DERELICTIoN.
What" he added, did my friends sayl
That had been derelict in my duty 1t is
grave charge Ii was not said on the
streets, but in public. 1t was printed in
the newspapers, and it has been spread
broadcast throughout thiSdistrict. 1t means
that | have abandoned my duty, and |
think that in view of my past history that
it is a serious charge. have gone in and
ont before YOU for thirty years. You have
seen me in my private life, you have seen
me in my professional life, you have
seen me in my public life,
and what have done that
intelligent men should meet in public and
condemn me as public servant. Is there
anything in my past history to Justify il
Let us look for a moment. l think it fit
occasion to review my record. | served
you in the. Legislature in the dark days, and
when the mmonwealth was attacked in
her legislative balls | resisted the attack
When the general election came on at the
court house | went there and saw the
HDefby OF my people Delng Urampled
under foot. / called the young men
around me and we contested every inch
of ground for four days, and that too
when prominent men, by word and in the
press, advocated that we should touch not
taste not, handle not, the unclean thing
that all the action of the reconstructionist
was unconstitutional, but we went on.
REVIEWING HIS RECORD.
sin 1870 did the same thing. saw the
State being misruled and wrote q series OF
articles under the name of Nemesis. Zap
plause.] After that was sent to the Sen
ate. | saw again the State misruled. saw
bill introduced to coerce you. To mingle
your children i'll the schools with children
of another race | attacked it, and ! am
proud to say that when l had spoken the
bill was referred back and the obnoxious
clause was stricken out. [Applause.l That
was TO protect the children, the grown PEG
pile could protect themselves. When l re
tired from that field of labor you sent me
TO the House of Representatives.
You were attacked there. You were
called cutthroats, murderers, and
were accused of stuffiing the ballot boxes by
Henderson, of Iowa. resented the attack,
and / never heard an adverse criticism until
the last election when my adversary said in
Tattnall county that that speech of Nor
woods was the worst speech ever made by
public man; that it split the Democratic
party and united the Republican during